Energy Best Buy Table - Current Best Buys 21/02/2011

By Confused.com energy team

Welcome to our update on the latest developments in the gas and electricity market, which could impact on your bills.

To give you an idea of the best energy tariffs currently available from a range of suppliers, it’s not a bad idea to use a ‘best buy’ table as a point of reference. Below, we’ve listed the current tariffs vying for the top slot.

So what's the market latest?

We’ve seen some shuffling around at the top of the Best Buys this fortnight, with EDF and ScottishPower pulling their best deals and replacing them with more expensive versions. Unusually, three of the best tariffs all come with an average annual bill of £916 with only pennies difference. We’re still seeing an upward trend and these are further indications that prices are going to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

Best Buy Table

Tariff Key Features

e.on - SaveOnline 5

• Now the cheapest tariff, SaveOnline 5 has an average bill of £906 per year – a 6% discount against e.on’s EnergyPlan rates
• Only available if you manage your account online and pay by Direct Debit
• Fixed-term contract with discounted rates until 1st January 2012
• If you leave before the tariff expiry date you will have to pay £30 if you’re on a dual fuel tariff, £10 for an electricity-only tariff

npower - Sign Online 21

• The first tariff with an average annual bill of £916 is the latest version of npower’s Sign Online range
• 2% discount compared to npower’s standard tariff until 31st March 2012
• Customers must pay by Direct Debit and manage their account online
• npower discounts are applied on your anniversary date
• £20 per fuel exit fee (i.e. £40 for a dual fuel tariff) if you leave before 31st March 2012

EDF - Online Saver 9

• EDF has replaced its Online S@ver 8 with version 9, which is £40 more expensive a year - bringing the average bill to £916
• Online S@ver 9 offers a 2% discount against their Standard prices until 30th June 2012
• Discount is guaranteed whether standard prices go up or down
• Cancellation fees of £60 for a dual fuel tariff, £30 for single fuels if you leave before the discounted period ends

ScottishPower – Online Energy Saver 13

• ScottishPower has also withdrawn its cheapest tariff and replaced it with Online Saver 13, which also comes in at £916 per year
• Prices 2% lower than their standard monthly Direct Pebit prices until 30th April 2012. Cancellation fees apply if you leave before the expiry date - £50 for Dual Fuel accounts, £30 for electricity only, £20 for gas only
• Only available if you manage your account online
• ScottishPower offer cash back if you are in credit at your annual reassessment date

British Gas - Websaver 10

• British Gas's best tariff has an average annual bill of £921
• Only available if you manage your account online and pay by Direct Debit
• Available to both new and existing customers
• Prices guaranteed to remain at least 6% below British Gas's standard prices until 29th February 2012
• Cancellation fees apply - £30 for each fuel so £60 for a dual fuel tariff

OVO Energy – New Energy Fixed

• OVO’s cheapest tariff is now £973 per year after recently increasing their prices
• The tariff remains fixed for 12 months after your contract signing date at which point you can choose to fix your tariff again, or choose a variable rate product
• OVO also has the ‘greenest’ standard energy which takes 15% from renewable sources
• Only available to customers willing to manage their account online
• If you want to leave before your contract period is up, you will have to pay a cancellation fee of £60 for a dual fuel tariff, £30 for a single fuel tariff.

Scottish & Southern – Atlantic Fixed Price 3

• Scottish & Southern are once again leading with a fixed rate tariff
• The price you pay for each unit is fixed for one year from your supply start date until 31st March 2012
• Cancellation fee of are £75 if you leave before 30th April 2011, and £35 if you leave after 1st May 2011

first:utility - iSave 7

• first:utility are still at the bottom of the table with iSave 7 at £1,046 per year
• A dual fuel discount of 11% (up to a maximum of £100) which is deducted from your bill at the end of the year after 12 consecutive Direct Debit payments
• First Utility have a strict vetting procedure with this tariff only being available to home owners, those connected to the mains gas network as well as a number of other factors

*NB: Best buy tables are intended as a guide only. They may not necessarily be the best buys for you, as they are based on average UK consumption levels, whereas your own use may be different. Plus these figures may be subject to regional variations, and some of the named tariffs may be unavailable in certain regions (see below). To get a more accurate picture, you can compare tariffs at Confused.com and find a tariff best suited to your specific circumstances.

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